Carol Moore Films

Moving Out/Moving On Project

(Red Lead Arts) 2005

Divided by a Common Language
A Study undertaken for Red Lead Arts by John Foster and Zora Molyneaux

In the autumn of 2005 a group of people came together to explore what it meant to be a stranger in Northern Ireland. Some were new arrivals, some had been here for a considerable length of time and others had never lived anywhere else. Their cultural and ethnic backgrounds, their religions and political affiliations, their ages and the areas in which they lived were diverse. What they had in common was an interest in finding out more about themselves and about the others who share the country in which they live.

The information, which follows, was gathered through a number of interviews and workshops. Invitations to take part were sent to representatives of as many nationalities as possible. Those who took part came originally from
West Africa, Algeria, Iran, Syria, France, Poland , South Korea, India, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland and from different parts of Belfast

Ethical Considerations
A verbal agreement was reached with the participants regarding the purpose and objectives of the workshops and the eventual publication.

Throughout this publication direct quotations are used. Although we were not asked to keep these confidential it was decided to do so. Those who spoke relayed personal experiences and did not claim to represent the communities from which they came or those within which they now live. It was considered that to remain impartial and objective as far as possible names would be omitted.

A central tenet for working together was mutual respect. This allowed for freedom of expression in all its forms.

Model Used
The model used for the project was a journey from
Ignorance to Interest to Information to Insight.

The objective was to use the core conditions of person centred psychotherapy as a basis to provide interaction amongst the group. The aim was to encourage those who took part to experience a healthy group dynamic by using their lived experiences.
Many means of creative expression facilitated this process. Those who took part expressed themselves through drama, through music and through storytelling.

Following discussions with the group designed to highlight areas considered important to those who took part, an exercise was undertaken by the group to explore their answers to the following questions
· Where is home?
· What makes a home?
· What connects people? What disconnects people?
· How is trust built up?
· What would make integration easier?
· Who needs to adapt? Hosts or visitors?
· Transcultural differences - what causes offence?

Where is home?
It raised points about specific places such as towns and cities. However, what became clear was deeply held views that home "is where you make it" and that could be "almost anywhere". A telling response is captured in the phrase used by one participant - "home is where the heart is and the soul can be contented."

For some participants the pace of life seemed to be just as important as the place where the person lived. A move for one Indian lady from the countryside into Belfast was very difficult. She felt that with the slow pace of life in the country people took more time to get to know her and that the integration process was much easier.

What makes a home?
The word "family" often appeared in the participants' view of what makes a home. They had various interpretations of what the word meant to them. Views ranged from a feeling of safety to a place of being nurtured and loved by others.

There was much more emphasis on psychological values, beliefs and attitudes than any material possessions. The participants' construction of "home" is more a state of mind than a physical one.

What connects people?
The participants strongly believed that family links people together. Shared interests unify the families who have come to settle in Northern Ireland - culture (food, music, language, and lifestyle).

Respect featured as a concept that was important for some to feel connected.

What disconnects people?
The stark contrast with the previous question lay in the respondents' answers. Hurt, pain, mistrust and misunderstandings all divided individuals from others.
The causes for these varied greatly from alcohol abuse, divorce, racism and bullying to simply not taking the time to find out about each other. In particular the focus on race and discrimination elicited the greatest emotional response. Discrimination, which they considered to be based on ignorance caused considerable offence. Fear of the unfamiliar was present with most of those who took part.

How is trust built?
For participants moving into our society, the theme of trust was a recurring one. When asked to examine what it meant to them, some revealing thoughts emerged.
For some trust involves "reliability" and "security". Others believe it means "respecting each others' feelings". Others again saw it as "understanding and lack of fear" Most of all, not being let down by people seemed a priority. Anything after that has to be positive in their eyes.

What would make integration easier?
A resounding comment from the group was to share cultures. This would take the form of talking about and understanding each other's culture and language. Time needs to be set aside for meeting, to build trust, to talk and to share problems. Such social interaction could lead to integration. Some of those who participated had been part of the New Voices or Connecting Cultures projects and felt that these had gone a long way towards helping them to understand both their own and the cultures of others.

One individual saw establishing a consensus and acceptance of moral and legal rules as important. This view stemmed from a respect for diversity between groups too. There was no desire for "sameness" in integration but also for respect for difference.

Who needs to adapt - hosts or visitors?
From the group participants it was evident that both local indigenous folk and new arrivals need to be adaptable towards each other's needs.
It was recognised that visitors (arrivals need to be adaptable towards each others' needs.

It was recognised that visitors do need to accept the culture of their chosen country and work to understand how to fit in. Questions of economic need arose regarding new people coming to Northern Ireland. In the past visitors came to stay because of family connections. Perhaps that is changing forever. It was felt by several people from the indigenous and from visiting cultures that the value of money could be replacing family values and that this was undermining the supportive bonds between families and communities that had existed in the past.

What causes offence?
A myriad of responses was evoked by the question. Ignorance, insults and lack of understanding were to the fore. Lack of empathy, interest and compassion were also posited as reasons for offending others. Offence is directed at strangers because for some it seems funny.

One local man who participated recognised the need to make sense of his own story before he could accommodate the stories of others. He felt that this is common to others who have lived through "the Troubles". Although he feels no discrimination towards anyone else who lives in Northern Ireland. He felt it was important to include his story so that others who will read this will begin to understand just a little of the pain that needs to be considered.

His Story:
"The troubles seen through the eyes of a 15 year old child who not only was born there he also became a victim of this troubled land and his only crime was to have the misfortune of being born a Catholic.

Although many protestant and catholic people have suffered this country's terrible curse for me I have suffered its pain as well and will do till the day I die.
The injuries I received from a gunshot wound will never heal. Thankfully I have reached the age of fifty but I have had to live thirty-five of those years with so much hurt as well as pain. Although one thing that really puzzles me and causes a deep hurt was why the gunman felt he had to smile first before firing. Now my hope is for everyone is to sit back and really look at the hurt that a child like so many other children have had to live with in Northern Ireland and really listen to them when they tell you about their pain. Before we all get swept away with the Good Friday agreement and peace because we really need to heal the scars on the children of our past before we can move on, so the children of our future will not feel the hurt that we feel now.

And my biggest hope for the future is to live for my daughter who is now in heaven and to live in peace and harmony with everyone no matter what colour or creed in the City of Belfast."

The incidents suffered by this man resulted from sectarianism and elicited the following response from an English women who has chosen to make Northern Ireland her home

I've realised, during these weeks that, wherever we come from, we all bring the consciousness of the class and ethnic prejudices from our own country. These then layer into the host country.
The host country has its internal differences; then the feelings and fears about the newcomers are added.
The different groups of newcomers may have fears and misunderstandings about each other.
Each individual national group will be aware of the social and ethnic distinctions within itself.
That's an awful lot of fear and prejudice!

Other themes arose from these discussions and workshops, which added to our understanding of the backgrounds and experiences of the people of Northern Ireland. This have been included, and although the groups with whom we worked only form a very small proportion of the population what they had to say was significant.

Reasons for leaving
Reasons for leaving home and coming to Northern Ireland were varied.
Of the two Indian ladies one left to join her husband, a professional, who had found employment. The other had very different reasons. Planning to settle in the Middle East some ill-advised investments left her without the financial resources to visit her son who was at school in N.I. as often as she would have liked. The most reasonable solution seemed to be to move nearer to him.

For most of the women their husbands for whom a life and work in N.I. promised a better lifestyle for their families dictated their departure.

One contributor form Egypt offered:
"I'm here because my husband is working in Northern Ireland. I really love my country. Egypt is a well-known and loved country by all the people worldwide. Egypt is in mine and my children's heart".

This reason for leaving the homeland was reinforced by the men with whom we spoke. Although they did not all have families who were dependent, the perception of improved financial circumstances underpinned their reasons for leaving their homeland.

One man from West Africa left after finishing university to work in France, chosen primarily because French is his native language. Racism then proved to be the catalyst, which resulted in another move to N.I. Although, being black he himself was the victim of racist abuse, his wife whose parentage is both black and white suffered more. The first move was difficult. He grew up in an area where everyone looked out for each other. "If my car broke down I knew that there would be someone along soon to help me" He missed this when he left just as he missed the family he left behind.
For all those who came from another country families and lifestyles were left behind. Cultural mores they had accepted if not taken for granted were also left behind. For some the education and recognition of achievement they had enjoyed did not travel. Of those who had always lived in Northern Ireland like their families before them moves from the country to the town caused upheaval. They too left because of family or employment, and they too left behind families and lifestyles, which were very different to the ones they found in the city.

For one girl leaving her family was the reason for her departure. A long-standing feud made life unbearable and the only solution seemed to be to leave. Although her departure meant leaving the area in which she lived, she was not however, moving to another country. Such was the rural/urban divide that her sense of loss and feeling of being a "stranger" was no less than those to whom Northern Ireland was a completely new experience. A second woman left her home in the south of Ireland when her relationship with her family broke down to live in an area rife with sectarian tension. Unsure of the rules she was afraid to speak and equally afraid to travel outside the immediate area in which she lived.

Arriving
"When I came to N. Ireland in 1989 the Troubles were still dominating life here. As an identifiably English person I was wary, and I expected to encounter anger or prejudice. Instead, most people seemed to be puzzled as to why I would make the choice to live here. Often, they seemed to be pleased that I felt so attached to Northern Ireland."

Common to both the "visitors" and members of the indigenous population appeared to be a fear of causing offence.

"I'm aware that I walk as though treading on eggshells, because I'm never sure whose sensibilities I might shatter. I shall never understand the intricacies.

One impression that was voiced by an Indian lady and repeated by two Chinese ladies was a lack of respect for older people that they witnessed when they arrived in Northern Ireland. In both their cultures older people are considered to have earned respect through the wisdom they have accumulated through the years. It is also considered an honour and a duty to look after one's parents as a way of thanking them for taking care of their families. Nursing homes is a concept that is new and alien .

Initial Difficulties
Language was the most common cause of difficulties expressed.

A Polish man shared:
"I felt that I need to settle down in that place so I started by learning English"

A woman from Syria told us:
"When I first moved into my new house our electricity was cut off. And since I was a foreigner and didn't know much English I didn't know how to go about getting it back. It was winter and it got very cold without any central heating."
As she talked further it became clear that there were those around her willing to help out. "My neighbour took care of us and gave us soup and gave us the gas stove. She phoned the electric company and told them off for cutting the electricity on me especially as I didn't know much English. After, she checked on us to see how we were getting along"
English classes helped and gradually she was able to sort out problems for herself. Knowing the correct words to use did not always appear to be enough.
One Chinese woman complained
"People in Northern Ireland speak very fast. Think about the words you use and how you use slang. Slow down!"
Several people spoke of a reluctance to ask if they did not understand. In an attempt to belong they do not ask for clarification and thus feel even more excluded. Stories in the media both appeased and exacerbated potential difficulties.
"After 9/11 it was sometimes difficult to be a Muslim. The media kidnap the case and serve their interest. They forget what happened, that it was Osama bin Laden and not all Muslims"
Like so many of the responses that we heard there were two sides. Media coverage provoked a very different response in another instance for the same person:
"When the earthquake in Turkey happened my old next door neighbour thought it happened to Syria as she wasn't very good at geography so she phoned me at the middle of the night to see if my family were ok and she made a big fuss of me!"

Assumptions
Through the use of world maps it became clear that few people were able to locate the countries from which others had come. Knowledge was often based on pieced together information with little basis in fact.

A participant from Syria told us:
"Middle East is a western concept." Joined by a common religion (Muslim) and common language experiences of two women from this region were very different. There is a 20-year gap between these women so the regimes within which they grew up were also very different. One, an architect is unable to practice here; the other has trained as a hairdresser. The children of both attend local schools. A search for commonality encouraged them to join the Muslim women's group, which while providing identity from home may serve to perpetuate the assumption of Muslim women from the Middle East as a cohesive group.

When explored further there was also a lack of understanding about other cultures.
Two Indian ladies who took part came from different parts of India. That they did not share a language, a religion or a culture came as a surprise to many. Not only was their only means of communication through English, as their native tongues did not provide one word in common, but their cultures had no more in common than with others in the country in which they had come to settle.

Assumptions about others were not exclusive to those for whom English was a second and often unfamiliar language.

One Chinese girl, who was born in Northern Ireland, was subjected to name-calling from others who thought they knew things about her. People who did not know her or know anything about her used terms like "slanty eyes" and "gook" in the street. Her experience is that people judge her by the colour of her skin and the shape of her eyes without taking the trouble to find out more about her. It has been a long slow process to build up meaningful relationships.

Divisions
Division can be through language, which has been covered briefly already. The use of slang was seen as divisive, and dialects separated those who have always lived in Northern Ireland as well as those from other English speaking countries and those for whom English is a second language. Just moving from one part of Belfast to another can "mark you as being different". In this instance the "different" also suggested vulnerable.

Rural/urban. Two of the participants, both of whom had never lived outside Northern Ireland found themselves "strangers" when they moved to the city. English may have been their native language but dialects used by "Belfast people" were strange and often inaccessible.

One barrier, which serves to alienate and divide, is and was considered to be negative was "Marking our territory": Red white and blue, and green white and gold mark out alien territories. With the advent of "peace" territory has been marked in support of either side of the Middle East or Spanish divide. Taking sides in other countries' conflicts was seen as the beginnings of globalisation even around conflict. One local man wondered "Why bring them here when we've enough conflict of our own?"
A girl who moved to Belfast from Cork was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" and was inadvertently caught up in sectarian violence, a terrifying ordeal that has left her feeling anxious in areas she does not know ever since. The New Voices/Connecting Cultures projects provided her with the first opportunity to explore the wider community in a safe and non-judgemental environment, and slowly she is coming out of her shell.

Participants were concerned that politicians who rarely seem to have the interests of those at the grass roots as priority reinforce the cultural and sectarian divide. It seems that too often the movers and shakers who visit community groups arrive with their own agenda and "only hear what they want to know."

Cultural difference
Cultural differences are not always obvious
A Chinese girl told of her mother, who worked so hard she finally collapsed. As the story unrolled both mother and daughter explained how this was expected by Chinese husbands/fathers and that to let local people with whom they came into contact know how hard their lives were would have felt like a betrayal. A kind neighbour, noticing how hard the mother worked would take the children in occasionally to give the mother a break. Things have changed for them and they have become more assertive. They claim not to be typical of Chinese people in Northern Ireland, many of whom remain caught between the expectations of two very different cultures.

A Chinese girl and her English boyfriend took part in the project.
He had never experienced any prejudice, either from local people or from the Chinese community. She on the other hand had, from the age of six experienced considerable prejudice from both. At six she was beaten up by an older boy and given no support from the school. Years later meeting this boy she asked him why. With absolutely no remorse he explained that he had hurt her simply because she was Chinese and did not belong there. More recently she has been taunted with "go home to where you belong" which confuses her since she is the second generation of her family to live in Northern Ireland and this is her home.

Following a recent visit to a Chinese restaurant with her boyfriend she described being insulted in Chinese by a waiter because she has an English boyfriend. He could not understand what was being said and has never experienced overt discrimination in view of the fact that he is English. He did however, talk about being very careful of where he goes and of being reluctant to speak "with an English accent" in certain areas.

An English woman told us:
"I've rarely heard anyone voicing anti-English sentiments in front of me, but where it has been expressed it has been mostly by Protestants. I'm confused - I thought the Troubles were about maintaining the connection to the British Isles".

Another Englishman, who had never been at the receiving end of overt prejudice, found himself in a broken down car in an area of Belfast perceived to be republican. He was afraid to open his mouth, afraid that his English accent would land him in trouble. An English woman who had had a similar experience confirmed this.

Integration or Assimilation?
Although Northern Ireland is inhabited by people from many nationalities with different religions and cultural traditions the opportunities to communicate with others whose backgrounds are different appears to be taken by only a few. Food appeared to create a channel for communication:

"When I first arrived [from Egypt] people were suspicious and reserved with me. Only when I called on neighbours with food and explained a little of my background did they begin to be friendly with me."

This was echoed by another contributor [from Syria]:
"Most of the neighbours are very good with me and I feel they like visiting me and they like my cooking a lot. They smell my rice from the start of my street."

Two men from Poland found that although in Poland they would have little in common they have been thrown together here. Limited use of language makes communication an effort both for themselves and for native English speakers, and makes it easier to just talk to each other. They are further separated from others with whom they would have common interests, as despite professional qualifications they have only been able to acquire unskilled labour with other migrant workers. Opportunities to mix with others from the indigenous population are few and are hampered by perceptions that they are taking jobs from the locals.

A man from West Africa welcomed the opportunity to mix with others from different backgrounds through the project. He lives and works in a rural area with migrant workers so he does not have the opportunity to speak English or to learn more about the country in which he now lives. On arrival he looked forward to having the opportunity to use his considerable education and the experience he has acquired. So far he has not been successful. His colour was alluded to once he had built up a relationship with others in the group.

As trust built up and members founds they had more in common that they had that divided them, it emerged that when they first met him some participants had "only seen black." As they got to know each other suspicion was replaced with recognition and interest in differences. It became clear that none of the local people in the room had ever met a black person despite there being many who live in Northern Ireland, and in particular, in Belfast. It is difficult to see where this opportunity would have arisen in their day-to-day lives. They believed that for the integration process to begin to spread it was important to have more projects, which create such opportunities.

How to work out problems
Again and again those to whom we listened said, "ask". If people are interested; if there is something that they want to know, ask. Be open and welcoming but not in your face. Say "hello" or "do you need me?"

A view that was shared by many is that the way that history is taught in schools needs to be changed. "Teaching is based on 'what they did to me'. Until this stops it is hard to see how anything will change.

A view shared by one Chinese woman was that "outsiders may be more easily accepted," a view shared by another participant living at a local interface. Although he expressed interested in visiting a nearby centre for minority ethnic group it is situated in what he referred to as "murder mile". He expressed fear at leaving what he knows and "wandering into the unknown."

This was echoed my several others who said that within the structure of the workshops they felt safe, but would be very reluctant to wander into an unknown area alone or to reach out to a stranger.

Conclusion and Recommendations
In the workshops we have been fully aware of the difficulty involved in having an appreciation of objective reality.

We were consciously aware of the understanding we have of and the meaning we ascribe to words like racism, prejudice, bias and discrimination. We were restrained by the receiving context of such words for the local participants and the visitors - people often hear what they think they know rather than understand what is meant.

Indeed, the participants were limited by their interpretation of events. How people see things may be influenced by the age they are and by their life experiences. Also, the ways in which individuals organised their lived experiences appeared to involve a crossover between their notion of narrative (stories) and how they organise themselves around problems.

The workshops helped the participants to externalise their concerns. They helped to pave the way for individuals to cooperate with each other, and to embark on a united struggle against anything that hinders communication. It also opened up new possibilities to take action and to offer a less stressed approach to cultural integration.

Working together in a safe and non-judgemental environment appeared to help participants to see that neither the person, nor the relationship between individuals is the problem. Rather the racism, the discrimination etc. becomes the problem; and then the person's relationship with that problem takes over.
Everyday lived experiences were reflected on, evaluated, analysed and explored, and out of this came the ability to accept unique possibilities for a shared future.

We know so much more about the world but there are still so many gaps

With so many individuals with different reasons for being in Northern Ireland and with different ideas of how they want their lives to be, it is difficult to create a model that will work for all. For many a tension exists between a desire to be accepted in their adopted country and a fear of losing their own cultural identity.

In working towards accommodating this tension it is important to adopt a two pronged approach. The young people from Poland and from South Korea with whom we worked see Northern Ireland as a stop-off, and as a means of developing themselves culturally and economically. Others see Northern Ireland as their future and have created roots for their families. These contributors are from two distinct groups and any future work will need to accommodate the very different needs that exist for them.

Those with whom we worked came up with a very practical suggestion that they felt would go some way towards easing this tension.

A welcome pack was considered to be essential if new arrivals are going to begin to belong. The most basic of services can remain a mystery where the country, the culture, and the language are new.

There is room for all if we can learn to appreciate diversity rather than be divided by difference. For this to begin we must embrace and education process around culture. Two projects have already been mentioned, but a need has been identified for this work to be more widely accessible.

Spending time with similar groups and learning to listen to each other is fundamental to building up trust where people will feel welcome, appreciated and understood
For local people and members of minority ethnic groups alike there a fear of the unfamiliar and of the unknown. These so-called strangers are just friends they have not yet met, and if the opportunities are created and they learn more about the person, generalities and stereotypes fade away.

Their shared hope for the future is that the work they have begun will continue and grow. Just as those who took part now meet and greet each other as individuals with a name and not a label they have expressed a desire for this to become more widespread.

This project and others like it are only a beginning. For Northern Ireland to be a truly multi-cultural country where no-one who lives here will feel like a stranger there need to be more and more opportunities where those who share this country can not only talk to those around them, but even more important, learn to listen.